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Turkish Press Review, 96-06-20Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWTHURSDAY JUNE 20, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL FIGHTS TO KEEP TURKEY'S BALKAN BID ALIVEPaying an official visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 17-18, President Suleyman Demirel strove to reassert Turkey's role as a peacemaker in the troubled Balkans. While pledging Turkey's economic and technical support to the Sarajevo government, Demirel hammered home the message throughout his visit that a broad reconciliation was essential in Bosnia between the Muslims, Croats and Serbs after the long and bitter ethnic conflict which devastated the country and left deep scars in the public psyche. In his talks with Bosnian President Alija Izzetbegovic and in public statements throughout the visit, Demirel stressed the special importance, in this respect, of the survival of the Bosnian-Croat Federation set up in keeping with the Dayton agreement. /Cumhuriyet-Sabah/[02] ANKARA REACTS STRONGLY TO ARMENIA-GREECE DEFENCE AGREEMENTTurkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel, speaking at a weekly press conference, said that Ankara strongly opposes the Greece-Armenia defence cooperation agreement. Akbel called it an example of the Greek policy which aims to encircle Turkey and which threatens peace and stability in the region. Akbel said that the agreement, along with statements by Greek officials, revealed that the real Greek aim was to exacerbate tensions in the region."Turkey is evaluating all aspects of Greece's hostile attitude. It should be kept in mind that any attempt to target Turkey's security interests would be harmful to those who intend it. It is obvious that this agreement will be harmful to cooperation and stability in the Caucasus" Akbel said. /Cumhuriyet/ [03] US REMOVES CAP ON TURKISH 'AID'The US Senate removed all caps and almost all restrictions imposed on US assistance to Turkey by the House version of the foreign assistance bill, HR 3540. Accordingly, Turkey will be eligible for up to $60 million in Economic Support Fund (ESF) grants and $175 million in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) loans, both as originally suggested by the administration. The bill is expected to end up in Conference Committee in mid-August to find a compromise solution between the House and Senate versions of the bill.The Senate Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee, chaired by Sen.Mitch McConnel, convened on Tuesday to approve a $12.2 billion foreign aid package. The subcommittee eliminated two Armenia-related amendments introduced in the House by Reps.George Radanovich and Peter Visclosky. /Hurriyet/ [04] 28 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED IN CLASHESTwenty-eight militants of the PKK terrorist organization were killed in skirmishes in southeastern Anatolia. More than 200 PKK terrorists have been killed in the last week, according to government figures. The emergency rule governor's office said in a statement that Turkish troops pursued a group of PKK militants near the Iranian border and killed 28 of them. It said the militants had stolen around 2,000 sheep and abducted 12 shepherds, one of whom escaped to raise the alarm. In clashes between security forces and the militants, five members of the security force, four of them village guards, were wounded, and five of the shepherds were rescued. In operations in Elazig, Diyarbakir and Bitlis four terrorists were captured, and in Sirnak four gave themselves up.In a separate incident, five Turkish soldiers were killed when militants ambushed a military vehicle in the eastern province of Elazig on Tuesday night. /Milliyet-Hurriyet/ [05] DINI CRITICIZES GREECEEuropean Union (EU) Term Chairman Italian Foreign Minister, Lamberto Dini, said that Greece, by blocking the MEDA Mediterranean Aid Package, was damaging the international prestige of the European Union. Giving details about achievements during the period when Italy undertook the EU term chairmanship, in a speech to the European Parliament, Dini noted that despite the importance attached to relations with Turkey, during the last six months financial aid was extended not to Turkey, nor did the Association Council meet. "The fact that we have invited Turkey to the Florence Summit however, is an indication of the importance we attach to this country," Dini said, and criticized Greece for shattering the reliability of the EU. /Milliyet/[06] IRAN DISTURBED OVER TURCO-SYRIAN TENSIONThe "Iran News" newspaper published in Iran suggested that Iran could undertake the role of mediator between Turkey and Syria for finding a solution to the disputes between the two neighbour countries. The newspaper drew attention to widespread views that not oil, but water could become a reason for a future war in the Middle East, and stating that increasing tension in Turco-Syrian relations was disturbing, invited the Iranian Foreign Ministry to undertake diplomatic initiatives for bringing both disputing sides to the negotiation table. /Sabah/[07] EU-TURKEY JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION MEETINGThe EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission will meet in Ankara on June 25-26 after three years of non-activity. The duties of the Joint Parliamentary Commission focus on following the activities of the Partnership Council. However, the operations of the commission were suspended in 1993 when the Turkish Parliament stripped eight former DEP deputies of their parliamentary immunity. Commission Co-Chairman and ANAP deputy Bulent Akarcali noted that Greece, the country with the least deputies in the European Parliament, was represented with four members in the 18-member EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission. "The Greek deputies are trying to blockade the commission. Nevertheless, we will do our best to render the commission operative," Akarcali said. /Cumhuriyet/[08] TURKEY SIGNS MILITARY DEAL WITH CROATSFollowing his visit to Sarajevo, President Demirel hurried back to Ankara for the official visit of Croat President Franjo Tudjman. During the visit of Tudjman, the Croat Defence Minister signed an agreement with Turkish officials for military cooperation between Turkey and Croatia. This means initially that Turkey will train Croat officers in Turkey. Technical training will also be part of the agreement. /Hurriyet/[09] NURKAN SAYS GOOD SYRIA TIES CONDITIONAL ON PKK SUPPORTTurkey said yesterday that improving strained ties with neighbour Syria depended on Damascus withdrawing alleged support for the PKK terrorist organization. "Stopping Syrian support for terrorism is the first condition for meaningful talks between Turkey and Syria" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel told a news briefing. "There is no Turkish military build-up on the Syrian border" Akbel said. "But, there have been PKK terror incidents rooted in Syria against our country in the recent past" he added. /All papers/[10] FRENCH GENERAL VISITS TURKEYGen.Jean-Philippe Douin, head of the French General Staff, arrived in Turkey as the official guest of his Turkish counterpart, Ismail Hakki Karadayi. Gen.Douin will first visit Ataturk's Mausoleum and then meet with Gen.Karadayi in his office. Gen.Douin will depart from Turkey on 21 June after visiting the 4th Main Jet Base and the War College. /All papers/[11] RESIDENCE PERMITS TO BE LENGTHENEDA draft bill proposing to prolong residence permits from two to five years has been accepted by the Parliament's Interior Committee. The bill will allow the Foreign Ministry to lengthen or shorten the period on the basis of reciprocity. The residence permit will be allowed to be renewed up for up to four times. /Sabah/[12] US GRATIFIED WITH EXTENSION OF OPCThe US State Department said Washington was gratified with the extension of Operation Provide Comfort (OPC) for one more month by the Turkish Parliament. Spokesman Nicholas Burns said that the US would like to see a longer extension when the Turkish Parliament takes up the matter at the end of July. "We continue to believe that Operation Provide Comfort may play a crucial role in deterring Saddam Hussein from the kind of aggression against the Iraqi people that provoked the mass exodus of Iraqis in northern Iraq in March 1991. OPC has been a success for Turkey, as well as for the US and for the people of northern Iraq" he said.A US administration senior official who asked to remain anonymous told Turkish journalists on Tuesday that the Turkish press was "overreacting" to the news stories of Syrian troop movements along the Turkish-Syrian boder. "If you look at the explosions that occurred, that might answer why some of the troop movements took place" he said. "I wouldn't lead you to the idea that an international conflict is imminent" he said. He said the US administration was "neutral" on Syrian troop movement reports. But, concerning the arrest of hundreds of Turcomans in Syria in connection with the explosions, the official said that the reports were accurate and the US was "concerned" by such arrests. /Sabah/ [13] PKK ATTACKS TRAVEL AGENCIES IN GERMANYMolotov cocktails were thrown at three Turkish travel agencies near Berlin, causing damage worth DM 100,000. Mete Sener, the owner of one of the three travel agencies, said that such attacks would not achieve their aim, whatever the aim was. Berlin police reported that two other travel agencies owned by Turks had also been attacked, one in Wedding and the other in the Kreuzberg dictrict of Berlin on Tuesday night, causing slight damage. The PKK has claimed responsibility for the attacks. /Cumhuriyet/[14] INVESTMENTS LOOKING STRONGDespite continuing domestic problems, investments in most sectors are looking bright. Reports from the Treasury note that during the first three months of this year, 373 trillion TL in incentives and new permissions was paid out.Seventy-five percent of the investment is new, with 15% of the total being made in the south and southeast of the country. Much of the foreign and domestic investment however, centres around the rich tourism areas, especially Marmaris, where new investment comes to 194 trillion TL. /All papers/ [15] GREECE SENTENCES TURK TO SEVEN MONTHS IN PRISONGreek courts have sentenced general secretary of the Thrace Friendship Equality and Peace Party, Ahmet Haci Osman, to seven months in prison for collecting up school books distributed by the Greek authorities for the education of Turkish children in Thrace.The books are held to be in contravention of agreements made for the education of the children of the Turkish minority in Thrace, but the Greek courts have upheld their own interpretation of the sensitive education issue. After being sentenced, Haci Osman said that "we will continue to seek our rights in this and other issues." In the meantime, the Greek authorities have reportedly printed more books and distributed them to the people living in the small Turkish communities in the region. /Hurriyet/ [16] RUSSIA SUPPORTING THE PKKThe Turkish military claims that Russia is supporting the PKK terrorist organization in a new book called "Petro-Strategy." The newly released publication says that Russia is giving the PKK and the Kurds logistical support to further its own ends in Armenia, Georgia and even Azerbaijan.The book strongly warns that in view of these developments, the Turkish supported Baku-Ceyhan overland pipeline project has been put at risk. /Cumhuriyet/ [17] TURKEY A MEMBER OF UN WEAPONS REDUCTION CONFERENCEFollowing years of activity since 1982 as an observer country in the UN promoted Geneva-based Weapons Reduction Conference, Turkey has been made a full member of the conference to do away with weapons of mass destruction. Together with Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Israel have been made full members. This means that at the last count, sixty countries are involved in the conference. /Cumhuriyet/[18] POLICE CONTINUE TO STRIKE BLOWS AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKINGIn the first five months of 1996, Police forces seized nearly three tons of hard drugs, including heroin, base morphine, cocaine and opium, and detained 1,804 people for having links with drug trafficking, police officials said yesterday. Approximately 3,000 kg of hashish have been seized. In other operations that were carried out during the same period, a total of 24.5 tons of chemicals used in the production of heroin were confiscated and 20 people were arrested.The office of General Police Headquarters drew attention to PKK terrorist organization involvement in illegal drug trafficking, saying that Turkey sees illegal traffic in drugs as a crime against humanity and a financial source to terrorism. Officials also said that Turkey continued to work with many other countries in the worldwide struggle against illegal drugs. To this end, Turkey has signed protocols and agreements with more than 33 countries, including Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia. Police officers said that they have scored impressive successes in combatting illegal traffic in drugs. Turkey, which also works with international organizations such as Interpol, belongs to the 25-member Pompidou Group established by the Council of Europe. The group fights the illegal drug trade and drug addiction. Turkey, along with the UNDCP (United Nations Drug Control Programme), helped to set up the UN committee against drug smuggling and related issues. /All papers/ [19] EXPOSHIP TURKEY '96 IN ISTANBULExpoship Turkey '96 Organization Committee Chairman Oktay Ulkuguner said during a press conference, held to promote the Expoship Turkey '96 project to the press, that relations between the countries which surround the Black Sea, as well as those which have economic relations with this region have improved within the last few years. Ulkuguner stated that trade and commerce have increased greatly between Turkey and those countries, through thousands of "suitcase" traders and visitors who come to Turkey to buy goods for trade in their own countries, and enhanced export strategies."Turkey's export potential will be exhibited and service sectors such as tourism, transportation, banking and architecture will be promoted by Expoship Turkey '96, at six important port cities of the Black Sea" he said. "Also, the general promotion of Turkey, as well as presenting cultural and artistic activities are the aims of the exhibition". The Expoship Turkey '96 "Turkey's Sailing Exhibition" will be docking at Batum in Georgia, Novorossiysk in Russia, Sevastopol in the Crimea, Odessa in Ukraine, Costanta in Romania and Varna in Bulgaria. The ship will not be stopping at two of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member countries, Greece and Albania. Ulkuguner added that the Expoship Turkey '96 "Sailing Exhibition" will be organized with the participation of all the member countries in 1997 and visit Middle East and Mediterranean ports in 1998. /Cumhuriyet/ [20] WARNING ON ISLAND TENSION BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEYA Foreign Ministry statement said yesterday that lack of clarity about the status of small islands in the Aegean Sea region could lead to further tension between Turkey and Greece. Pointing to the situation regarding the island of Gavdos, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said that without the foundation of legal examination of the issues involved, the question of small islands and their sovereignty was more than sensitive.Akbel said in a written statement that the comments of Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay on the matter on June 11, were in accord with the facts of the case and should be interpreted accordingly. /Cumhuriyet/ Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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